𝐌𝚰𝐙𝐙𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐕

Our train car pulled up to the next station and as it screeched to a stop, I flew forward, nearly hitting my head. Coral and I had been sitting in this dumpy old train car for a little over two hours. It was pitch black and smelled like dead fish.

We had only made two stops, one for fuel and one for new tributes. The darkness and the smell was getting to my head and I felt dizzy. Oh, how I wish this could all just be a dream and I would wake up back in District Four with Ma and Mila, my older sister. How I longed to smell the ocean or get wrapped in Ma's warm embrace. But instead all I got was dead fish and death. 

I heard commotion outside the train car door and figured out someone was unlocking our car. At least we were getting company. Coral had talked to me for five minutes, about how I was teaming with her whether she liked it or not and how if it came down to it she would kill me. Maybe I could get her to warm up to me, just not yet. She seemed like right now if I talked to her she would bite my head off. 

Finally, the door got pulled open and the incoming light was so bright, at least compared to what my eyes had been used to for the past two hours, I had to shield my eyes with my arms. Coral yelped and buried her head into her knees. 

I peeked through my arms and watched as a boy, older than me but younger than Coral, climbed weakly into the truck, face solemn. He immediately made his way to the corner and tucked his head into his knees. 

"Don't touch me!" someone snapped from outside the train car, a girl's voice. 

"Ma'am, we have to help you up, you're too short to reach the train," came a Peacekeepers voice. The next thing I knew, the girl was hoisting herself over the edge, barely making it. 

"See," the girl said pointedly. "I'm not too short!" She scoffed and pulled her legs off the edge, narrowly dodging getting them cut off by the door the Peacekeeper's slammed shut. She flashed the now closed door a hand sign that wasn't very nice. "So rude," she huffed, turning around to face the three of us. "Oh, hi."

Coral grunted in response. "Hello," I said softly. The girl seemed about my age, thirteen. 

"This is Otto," she said, pointing at the boy tucked in the corner. Otto mumbled something incoherent in response. "And I'm Aurora. I would say nice to meet you, but given the fact we will all be killing each other in like two weeks, I don't think this situation is very nice."

"I'm Coral," Coral grunted. My eyes, adjusting, I could see the girl nod slightly. "This is Mizzen." She nodded again and moved to the wall next to Otto. He barely gave her as much as a glance before burrowing his head back into his shirt.

"What District are you from?" Aurora asked us. I turned to Coral, gesturing that she should reply but she looked to be falling asleep. Great, I have to talk to a girl my age. I was never really too popular back in District Four. I always stuttered when talking to people I didn't know, especially girls. 

"Uh, we're from District Four," I said, softly.

"Nice," Aurora replied. "Is it nice living by the ocean?" Holy crap, I was not prepared for these questions.

"Uh.. yea it- it's cool," I stutter. Oh gosh that was so embarrassing. I felt heat rise up the back of my neck and my cheeks flush, I'm lucky that it's dark. "You.. you're from District.. Six right?" I need to shut up, I'm embarrassing myself even more.

"Yeah," she replied. "It's pretty boring though. Transportation factories everywhere." She sighed. "Anyways, how long have you been in here?"

"Two hours," Coral said. Her voice shocked me but I was also thankful I wouldn't have to speak again. 

"Oh my gosh! You survived two hours in a train car that smells like dead fish?" she exclaimed.

"Yup, and you're gonna have to survive in it for way more than two hours kid," Coral scoffed. "How old even are you? Twelve?"

"Excuse me," Aurora snapped. "I am thirteen."

"Like that makes it much better," Coral scoffed. "You probably had your name in there twice and everyone's weeping that you'll be sent away."

Aurora laughed bitterly. "I had my name in there about 50 times, my guardian was putting it in there for money," she spat. "And yet I didn't even get picked!"

"Then how are you even here, Shortstack?" Coral hissed. 

"I think she was about to explain before you interrupted Coral," I said softly. Softly but stupidly. I shouldn't have said that.

"Zip it Little Boy," she snapped, causing me to curl up even tighter into a ball. 

"My best friend got picked," Aurora said. Her voice was smaller now, as if this was a touchy subject. "I volunteered in her place."

"That's so dumb!" Coral exclaimed. "Why would you even do that?" No response from Aurora. I felt bad for her to be honest. Feeling the need to volunteer in place of her friend, getting her name put in the bowl for money. 

We all stayed silent for about ten minutes, Aurora curling up in a corner. Soon enough, I heard the soft sound of Coral snoring next to me. I made a decision using not a single braincell.

"Um, Aurora?" I squeaked. She didn't answer right away and I about had a heart attack. I am way too awkward for this world. Why am I even thinking about being awkward when talking to a girl? We are getting sent into the Hunger Games!

"Yeah?" she whispered, loud enough for me to hear. Oh gosh she actually answered. Dang it, I hadn't planned out what to say, I just needed an excuse to talk to her. 

"Are you.. are you ok?" I replied quietly. I bit my tongue. YOU'RE SO STUPID MIZZEN WHY WOULD YOU ASK THAT?! "I mean like after your friend and all that..."

"Oh.. yeah," she responded, sitting up slightly to face me. "I'm fine." She didn't sound fine at all, her voice cracking slightly when she said the word fine. 

"Do you need to talk about it?" I asked her. Wow, I'm getting better at the whole 'talking to girls' thing. 

"Yeah," she said softly. "You sure you want to listen?"

"Well, I mean we do have a long ways left," I said, laughing slightly. She chuckled and pulled herself upwards and stretched her legs out. 

"So what do you want to hear about?" Aurora asked. Oh my gosh, she is making my anxiety level go up rapidly. I am not a social person. 

"Whatever you feel comfortable with," I whispered. Aurora took a deep breath in. 

"Well.." she started. I listened to her talk for an hour, she talked about all things, District Six, her best friend Eliza, her little brother Everett, her dad and how he died, her other bother and how he died. She started to talk about her guardians but then changed her mind. She said it was "not the story I'm in the mood to tell".  

We talked until the car lurched to a stop and she toppled forward, almost doing a somersault. she said a few not so nice words as she returned to her spot.  

The door didn't open at this stop, or the next. At this point it was around lunch time and my stomach was growling. Surely they would give us food, right?

Wrong. The train stopped four more times, it was around dinner time now, and they hadn't given us a single scrap of food, they didn't even open the doors anymore. Aurora informed us that her dad had told her when she was little that it took two full days to get from District Twelve to the Capitol. 

Otto groaned when he heard that and banged his head against the wall, rattling the train car. Coral said she didn't care and that Aurora needed to shut up. I said nothing. 

The next day, Aurora slept the whole day and Coral wasn't in the mood to talk so I sat motionless watching a rat scurry back and forth across the floor. I don't even know how it got in, the doors had been shut since we stopped in District Six and even that felt like months ago. I took that time to think about my family.

My older sister, Mila, was seventeen and was an exact replica of Ma. From the color of their eyes to the way their hair smelled like coconut, they were the same in every way. The only difference was Mila was stronger than Ma, mentally and physically. 

My Pa died before I was born and Mila always told stories of him. He seemed like such a great guy and it pains me to know he never knew I existed. Ma is different. She refuses to speak of him, even banishes us to our room if either of us so much mention his name in front of her. Oh how I wish I could meet him now. 

The second day of sitting in the train that reeked of dead fish, Aurora was actually awake so the two of us talked and talked and talked. Sometimes it about random things but I felt as if I was getting to know her. I knew it was stupid to get so close to someone before you got sent into an arena to fight to the death but it was also comforting knowing I would have someone to have my back. 

I sat next to Aurora, her head was resting on my shoulder as she slept. My stomach felt like it was about to explode with hunger. I didn't really get it. Who would want to watch a bunch of kids that are already half dead fight? At least energize us so it would be good 'entertainment'. 

The thought of people seeing children killing each other as entertainment sickens me. The Capitol people are so dumb and stupid and I wish I could blow them all up with a click of a button. 

Out of nowhere, the train screeched to a stop, flinging me into the wall and Aurora into me. She yelped and let a string of curse words loose. She pushed herself off of me and sat upright. 

"Are we here?" she questioned. I looked at her and shrugged my shoulders. The sound of Peacekeepers unlocking our train car gave us our answer.

"May the odds be ever in our favor," Aurora breathed. 

⋆. ݁⭒ 𝘚𝘖𝘗𝘏𝘐𝘈 𝘚𝘗𝘌𝘈𝘒𝘚 ⋆. ݁⭒

Y'ALL I'VE LITERALLY UPDATED THREE TIMES THIS WEEKEND I'M SO PRODUCTIVE (not really) Anyways, how are you guys liking the story so far?!? I feel like this book is easier to update than my other book but idk. I hope you guys are liking it so far!